


Breakable

by syriala



Series: Inktober for Writers 2018 [20]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-05 00:03:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16356767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/syriala/pseuds/syriala
Summary: Something was off in the way Derek curled up small in front of Peter, pressed into his side at all possible times and Peter was slowly getting worried. It seemed desperate in a way Peter never wanted Derek to be, had hoped he would never need to be in their relationship and Peter wondered if he had somehow made Derek believe that he wouldn’t give him everything he needed or wanted.





	Breakable

Derek had always been very free in his affection with Peter, even after the fire, so it was nothing new when he cuddled close during a movie or moved his chair to Peter’s side of the table during dinner, always seeking contact, always reaching out for Peter.

Since the fire Derek had apparently been starved of affection, just like Peter had, and so Peter didn’t mind indulging Derek at all. He always welcomed Derek in his space, always made room for him or moved into his outstretched hands.

And even knowing all of that, something was off in the way Derek curled up small in front of Peter, pressed into his side at all possible times and Peter was slowly getting worried. It seemed desperate in a way Peter never wanted Derek to be, had hoped he would never need to be in their relationship and Peter wondered if he had somehow made Derek believe that he wouldn’t give him everything he needed or wanted.

“What’s going on?” Peter asked him when Derek pressed in close on the couch, hiding his face in Peter’s neck and clinging almost desperately to him, not even pretending to pay attention to the TV running in the background.

“Nothing,” Derek said, voice muffled against Peter’s skin and Peter resisted the urge to sigh.

“Come on, pup, you know I can hear you lying to me,” Peter softly chided him, and Derek tried to get even closer to him.

“See, this is what’s worrying me,” Peter said, and immediately shushed Derek when he started to whine, distressed at the thought of being pushed away. “I don’t mind, you now I don’t,” he told him as he slung his arm around Derek to hold him tighter. “But I gotta know what’s going on with you. You have to tell me.”

“I don’t want to,” Derek whined out, still keeping his face hidden, and this time Peter did sigh.

“Pup, we went through that. If something’s bothering you, you have to tell me. We promised to talk to each other, right?” Peter reminded him.

It was a hard-learned lesson for both of them, since Peter wielded his words like weapons and Derek stopped talking all together when it was something important, something with the possibility to hurt them. But they had talked, had promised each other to always try and talk it out, make it work somehow, and it was still something they both worked on, even now.

“I’ve never felt like this,” Derek whispered after a lengthy pause.

“Like what?” Peter asked, prodding Derek gently to come out with the words.

“You know I love you, right?” Derek asked instead of answering Peter’s question and Peter immediately nodded.

Of course he knew. They weren’t throwing it around all day, but they said it enough that they both felt secure in this relationship.

Derek fell silent again after that and Peter tried to piece everything together without dragging every single word out of Derek.

“You’ve never been in love?” he carefully asked, because he wasn’t sure this was it.

Derek had told him he loved him months ago, and this needy, desperate behavior was new, had only started a few weeks ago. So this really couldn’t be it.

“I loved _them_ ,” Derek pressed out at that, refusing to even say Jennifer’s and Kate’s name, but Peter understood him anyway. “But I’ve never felt this—this vulnerable.” Derek stopped for a few seconds before he went on. “I feel breakable when I’m with you. Like all you have to do to break me is use the right words and I’ve never felt like that.”

Peter mulled that over for a few seconds, pressing his nose into Derek’s hair while he worked through that and Derek patiently waited him out.

“Is that bad?” Peter asked eventually, because this was really the only thing that mattered.

If Derek thought it was a bad thing they wouldn’t work out.

“I—don’t think so,” Derek haltingly said. “I trust you. I love you and I trust you _not_ to break me. I trust that you won’t turn against me.” _Like they had_ , went unsaid but they both clearly heard it.

“I never would do that to you,” Peter promised, because he would rather die than hurt Derek or betray him like that.

“I know that,” Derek gave back, and Peter couldn’t hear a lie in his heartbeat, so he knew that Derek really meant it.

“And the intense need for contact comes from that?” Peter asked, going back to the original issue.

“I like how vulnerable I am with you,” Derek whispered, and Peter shifted them around on the couch, until they were laying down side by side, Derek half on top of Peter.

“I love you, pup,” Peter said, because what else could he say to that and Derek settled more of his weight on Peter.

“I love you, too,” Derek mumbled, sounding sleepy with how content he was, and Peter pressed a kiss to his forehead.

They lay in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying the presence of the other before Peter moved his hand to card through Derek’s hair.

“You make me feel vulnerable, too, you know,” Peter softly said, and Derek hummed in approval.

“I know,” Derek said, and Peter smiled at that.

No one had ever known him like Derek did and Peter didn’t mind that at all, would never mind being known by the one person he loved most in his life.


End file.
